Time's Up
by avengellie
Summary: It's the middle of the night, and Clint should be sleeping. But he keeps getting woken up by Natasha texting him. But something about her texts sends shivers down his spine. Something isn't right.
1. Clint

_Okay so I swear to god someone was in my bedroom after I took a shower tonight. Basically, this story is loosely based on the conversation I was having with my friend while trying not to freak out. Sorry if it's total shit, it's like 4:30 in the morning now and I can't sleep and haven't ever really written Natasha and Clint... -E_

* * *

_Bzzzzzzz_.

Clint grunted softly and lifted his head slowly, squinting in the darkness. His phone on the nightstand next to him was lit up. Checking the time, he reached over and grabbed it. 2:48. Who was texting him at 2:48 in the morning? '_Someone better be dying_.' He thought bitterly to himself.

_[2:47 am, Nat] Hey, are you up?_

'_Tasha. Of course.' _He sighed softly and rubbed at his eyes with one palm.

_[2:48 am, sent] No. Why are you up?_

Closing his eyes again, he rested the back of his wrist on his forehead, waiting for her reply. Jumping slightly when it did come, he opened his eyes, wincing slightly because of the light.

_[2:50 am, Nat] Can't sleep… Did I wake you up?_

_[2:50 am, sent] Yeah, and I'm going back to sleep now. 'Night, Tasha._

He turned the screen off and tossed his phone on the other side of his bed, stretching. Rolling onto his side, he closed his eyes again, quickly falling asleep.

_Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzz._

Clint blinked a few times, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before realizing his phone was vibrating. Sighing loudly, he reached across the bed and picked it up. _'What now, Tasha?'_

_[2:51 am, Nat] Fine, jerk._

_[3:13 am, Nat] I thought you said you were going to bed?_

_[3:14 am, Nat] I may have been in the shower, but I still heard you, idiot._

_[3:14 am, Nat] I'm not coming out there in just a towel. Get out._

Clint just stared at his phone, still half asleep.

_[3:16 am, sent] Oooh, you're just in a towel? ;)_

_[3:17 am, Nat] How did you even get in?_

He opened his mouth slightly, sitting up slowly.

_[3:18 am, sent] Wait, Nat… I'm lying in my bed…_

_[3:18 am, Nat] Ha ha very funny. _

Quickly reaching over to the nightstand, he turned on his lamp. Eyebrows furrowed, he took a picture as proof that he was, in fact, in his bed, nowhere near her apartment building. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned forwards, his elbows resting on his knees.

_[3:20 am, sent] (Attachment) See?_

He waited, staring at his phone, waiting for her reply. Leaning back, his leg started bouncing in anticipation. He glanced at the clock. 3:25. Looking back at his phone, he lit up the screen. Still no response. Something was wrong.

_[3:26 am, sent] Natasha?_

…Nothing.

_[3:28 am, sent] Tasha, please._

_[3:28 am, Nat] I was wrong_

Clint gulped slightly, adjusting his position slightly on his bed. In the middle of typing, he got another message.

_[3:29 am, Nat] I heard it in the kitchen, so I opened the door, ready to kick your ass but I was wrong_

_[3:29 am, Nat] I was so so wrong_

Goosebumps appeared all over his arms. She never, _ever_ admitted she was wrong. At anything.

_[3:30 am, sent] Tasha, what is it? Who's there? _

_[3:30 am, Nat] I don't know if it saw me I closed the door right after I saw it_

Something about the way that she kept saying "it" sent cold shivers down Clint's spine and he stood up.

_[3:31 am, sent] It? Why do you keep saying it?_

_[3:32 am, Nat] It s not human. it was taller than th e ceiling it had to bend down_

_[3:32 am, Nat] It looked like it had claws instead of hands_

_[3:33 am, Nat] It's April 1st. If this is some sort of fucking sick joke you and Tony are playing, I'm going to fucking kill you._

_[3:33 am, sent] Tasha, I promise you, it isn't._

Clint started pacing his bedroom, not taking his eyes off of his phone. Should he call the police? Should he text Tony to make sure he wasn't pulling any shit? Fingers trembling slightly, he sent Tony a message.

_[3:33 am, sent] Hey. Are you pulling some shit prank on Tasha?_

_[3:34 am, Nat] Bullshit. You guys are assholes. Tell him to cut it out._

_[3:34 am, Tony] No? I've been up with Banner all night… Why, what's up?_

He licked his lips slightly, trying to determine if Tony was lying or not. Tasha was right, it was April 1st, and Tony was an asshole. Especially when it came to pranking or scaring people.

_[3:35 am, sent] Prove it._

He stopped pacing and glanced around the dimly lit room. Tapping his fingers on his phone lightly, he slowly sat back down on his bed, waiting.

_Bzzzzzz._

_[3:37 am, Tony] (Attachment) Seeeee?_

Clint looked at the picture that Tony sent. Tony was making a face and sure enough, Bruce was smiling next to him, holding up a notebook, the words "Hi, Clint!" written on the page. He stared at the picture, mouth hanging open slightly. Suddenly his phone buzzed again, snapping him out of it.

_[3:38 am, Nat] CLINT THIS ISN'T FUNNY._

_[3:38 am, Nat] TELL HIM TO FUCKING KNOCK IT OFF._

_[3:38 am, sent] Tasha, it isn't him. I just texted him. He's been with Bruce all night._

He stared at his phone, anxiously waiting for her to reply. After a few minutes, he started nervously opening and closing the messaging app, his leg bouncing again.

_[3:44 am, sent] Tasha? Seriously, it isn't Stark. I promise.._

He waited a few minutes more. Nothing.

_[3:49 am, sent] Natasha are you okay?_

_[3:49 am, sent] Please, Nat, what's going on?_

_[3:51 am, sent] Hello?_

_[3:52 am, sent] If you don't answer in the next 2 minutes I'm calling the police._

Clint glanced from his phone to the clock. After three minutes, he stood again and dialed 9-1-1. Putting the phone to his ear, he swallowed hard.

"Hello, 9-1-1, what's your emergency?" a tired voice sounded from his speaker.

"Hi, uh, I think my friend is in trouble," he started pacing again, forcing his voice to sound calm. "I think someone broke into her apartment."

"You _think_?" they repeated, sounding less than sure.

"I'm sorry, uh," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "She thought me and my friend were pulling a prank on her. But. But we're not! I- and this isn't a prank!- I think she could seriously be in trouble, though. She saw someone in her apartment and now she isn't answering her phone!"

"Alright, sir, please calm down," the voice said steadily. "We'll send someone over to make sure she's okay. Do you know her address?" He stopped abruptly.

"Shit," he murmured out loud. "Err, sorry! I, uh… _Shit_. Sorry!" he shook his head slightly. "It's…." he tilted his head back and closed his eyes tightly, trying desperately to remember.

"Sir?"

"She lives in that… Avalon Morningside Park building- uh- on Morningside Drive? I think? Apartment 7B!"

"Alright, thank you. Don't worry. We'll send someone down right away. Have a good night, sir." Clint inhaled sharply, glancing at the phone and hanging up.

_[3:58 am, sent] I called the police, they should be there soon. Natasha, please, are you okay?_

He paced faster, holding his phone tightly in his hand.

_Bzzzzzz. _Nearly dropping his phone, he quickly opened the message.

_[3:58 am, Nat] It keeps calling for me… Whispering my name over and over… _

_[3:59 am, Nat] "Time's up"_


	2. Tony and Bruce

_Can I just say that I was **not at all** expecting the kind of response this story got?! Wow! Thank you all so much, you're all amazing! I'll definitely continue, so I hope you all continue to read it and enjoy it! :) -E_

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"What? You c… Tony, that's cheating!"

"Isn't."

"Is."

"Isn't. Actually, it's called _winning_." Tony smirked, laying on the couch upside-down, his feet hanging over the back. They were playing Mario Kart, and so far, Tony had won every game. Bruce grumbled quietly to himself, furiously pressing buttons on his controller. Crossing his legs, he leaned forwards slightly, eyes narrowing in concentration. The pair were silent for a while, focused on the screen.

"Hello, Brucie!" Tony laughed as he passed him. A second later he passed the finish line, winning yet again and Bruce threw the controller in frustration.

"_How do you _do_ that?!" _he demanded, flailing his arms slightly.

"Natural-born talent, I guess," Tony laughed more and moved his legs so he could sit up-right.

"…Whatever," Bruce stood up. "I'm getting a snack. Want anything?"

"Mmm, maybe just some lobster. Steak?" Tony smirked and stood to go pick a different game.

"Riiiight," rolling his eyes, Bruce made for the kitchen, scoffing softly and muttering to himself. "'Natural-born talent,' my _ass_…" Tony chuckled softly, plopping down on the floor in front of where the rest of the games were kept.

"Any requests?" he called to Bruce.

"No _racing_!" Bruce replied from in the kitchen. Pursing his lips, Tony's finger grazed over the tops of the cases as he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he glanced at the clock on the other side of the room. It was after 3:30 in the morning. _'Who the hell is texting me at 3 am?'_ he thought to himself as he dug his phone out of his pocket.

_[3:33 am, Bird-Brain] Hey. Are you pulling some shit prank on Tasha?_

Tony blinked, eyebrows furrowing more.

"Hey, Bruce? Are we pulling some 'shit prank' on Nat that I don't know about?" Bruce walked in the room, arms full with a few bags of chips and a couple of sodas.

"…No?" he answered, giving Tony a look before sitting back down on the couch. "Not that I know of, anyway."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Tony agreed, his voice quiet.

_[3:34 am, sent] No? I've been up with Banner all night… Why, what's up?_

A grin slowly crept on Tony's face as he saw the date on his phone.

"Heeeyyy… It's April first!"

"Oh, no."

"What do you mean 'oh, no'?" Tony grinned more, picking out a game and putting it in the console. He scooted backwards towards the couch and climbed up. "Best day of the year, hands down!" he laughed.

_Bzzzzz._

Tony picked up his phone again as Bruce opened a bag of chips, the sodas between them on the seat.

_[3:35 am, Bird-Brain] Prove it._

"What the hell?" he just stared at the message on his phone.

"Mmm?" Bruce scooted over to read the message. "Is that Clint?" he rolled his eyes at the name in Tony's phone.

"Yeah, he doesn't believe me that we're not pullin' shit on Tasha."

"Why don't we take a picture?"

"Or we could call."

"Or just take a _picture_," Bruce insisted and Tony sighed dramatically.

"Alriiiight. We'll take a picture." He opened the camera on his phone and aimed it at the two of them. Bruce smiled sweetly and Tony stuck out his tongue as he took the picture. He was about to press send when he stopped. "Wait, he'll just think that it's just a picture I had saved on my phone…" Bruce exhaled slowly.

"Wait! I've got an idea," he jumped up and ran back into the kitchen.

"What, run away and assume no responsibility for whether or not Clint believes us?" He heard Bruce rustling through a drawer quietly and sighed. "Come on, my arm's getting tired!" Tony complained, arm still up to take a picture. Bruce ran back in with an open notebook in his hands and jumped back into his spot on the couch.

"There!" he said proudly, showing Tony the sign he had made. 'Hi, Clint!' was written on the open page sloppily in sharpie. He held it up for the camera to see and smiled again.

"Whatever," Tony sighed again as he made a face and took another picture.

"Nice face," Bruce snorted and tossed the notebook to the side, picking the open bag of chips up again.

"Isn't it always?" Tony smirked and sent the picture.

_[3:37 am, sent] (Attatchment) Seeeee?_

"So why does he think you're pranking Nat?" Bruce asked, his mouth full of chip.

"Beats the hell out of me," he shrugged. "Maybe 'cause it's April 1st and I'm awesome?"

"Riiiiight," Bruce rolled his eyes, eating another. "Maybe she's pulling something on him?"

"Hm," Tony furrowed his eyebrows. "That… Could be true."

_[3:39 am, sent] Hey Nat! So are you pulling some major shit on bird brain or what's up?_

"Did Clint reply?" Bruce asked, leaning over to try and see the screen.

"No, I just sent a text to Nat." he picked his controller back up and gestured towards the screen. "Now are we gonna play? C'mon!" Bruce quickly wiped his hands on his shirt and grabbed his controller.

"Right! Sorry!"

_Bzzzzzz._

Tony groaned and paused the game.

"Hold on," Bruce picked up one of the sodas between him and opened the cap.

_[3:44 am, Babe] (Video attachment)_

"Clint?"

"Nat, actually," Tony frowned slightly. "Video message."

"Well c'mon, then, let's see!" Bruce took a drink before quickly capping the bottle and scooting over to see the screen. Tony moved the phone slightly so Bruce could see easier and pressed play. Natasha was sitting against a wall with a towel on her head, one also wrapped around her body. The room was light up brightly but she kept glancing towards something off-screen, her voice never louder than a quiet whisper.

"_Tony, if this is you, I swear to god. I'm going to cut your dick off. I already was talking to Clint and I…" _she paused, staring at something the boys couldn't see. There was a low, almost growling whisper, but her lips weren't moving. _"Natashaaaa…. Natasha, why are you scared? I'm not going to hurt you…"_ Tasha's eyes were wide, her lips parted. She didn't move a muscle. Silence. Clearing her throat very softly, she glanced back at the camera for a second, returning her attention to the door. _"Cut it off… And feed it to you. Tony—" _there was a loud banging noise and Bruce jumped slightly, quickly glancing at Tony then looking back at the phone. Tasha had a hand clamped over her mouth, her eyes clearly starting to water. _"Natasha…" _she whimpered very softly, hand pressing more against her mouth to try and keep quiet. _"Time's up!"_ the voice whispered as the video suddenly cut off.

* * *

_Reviews:_

_Broken Infinity- I love how this review was literally almost ten minutes after I posted the story, and already asked me to update. Thank you so much, that was awesome! ;)_

_PhoenixSong2013, Precious93, sillystarshine- Ahh, yes. My goal as ever to terrify the masses! Hahahah_

_rhien- Hahah! Yeah, I know Clint just called the police, but it's almost 4 am! He isn't going to drive all the way to Tasha's! (Proooobably)_

_SmileMore- This review literally made my day- it was so funny! And thank you so, so much! I really didn't think it'd be that interesting or captivating seeing as I wrote it at like 4 in the morning, but I really appreciate it! :)_


	3. Clint and Steve

_Holy crap okay. Okay. So. I'm still deciding just how this fic is going to go, so this is kiiiiiiiiind of a filler... But not really... But... Yeah okay. I've got a general idea of what I'm doing now, so I'll hopefully update a lot sooner next time! Happy reading! :) -E_

* * *

Clint had his socks and shoes on in record-time (even if he put them on the wrong feet at first). He jogged out of his bedroom and to the front door of his apartment, tripping over a laundry basket in the middle of the floor. Barely remembering to grab his keys next to the door, his phone still tightly in his hand, he quickly left his apartment and went directly across the hall, fumbling with his keys slightly and unlocking the other door. Walking inside he flipped on the lights and walked through the living room to an open bedroom door.

"Steve!" he practically shouted. "Up! Up up up! We have to go to Tasha's. _Now_." Clint turned on the light in the room and walked to the bed where Steve was still sleeping. Exhaling sharply, he narrowed his eyes. Grabbing one of the blankets with both hands, he pulled up in one sharp movement and suddenly Steve found himself face down on the floor next to his bed. Groaning softly, he slowly made to sat up.

"I think I'm going to have to take my key back…" he muttered sleepily. Sniffling softly he looked over at Clint. "Barton, it's after 4 am… What?"

"Tasha's in trouble," he said quickly, tossing a shirt to him, looking for his shoes. Steve instantly sat up straight, waking up quickly.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Quickly standing up, he pulled his shirt on and grabbed some socks, sitting on the bed to put them on.

"I'll tell you on the way," Clint answered, sounding extremely distracted. "Ah!" Steve's shoes suddenly went flying at his head from the closet. Ducking quickly he caught them as they passed him.

"…Right…" He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but if Clint said Tasha was in trouble, Steve wasn't about to hesitate to help. It seemed serious, anyways. Shoes on, he jumped up off his bed and grabbed his phone, checking the time before looking back up to look at Clint. Blinking in confusion, he glanced around the room, Clint nowhere to be seen. "Clint..?"

"Come _on!_" Clint called, already at the front door. Jogging out of his room and out the front door, he glanced at Clint as he locked and closed his door.

"Thor lives right by her, doesn't he?" he asked, trying to remember. Thor usually was at Clint's apartment, so they rarely went over to his. "Shouldn't we let him know something goin' on? She's at home, right?" Steve suddenly realized just how little information he actually had. "Right?" Clint nodded once as they started quickly down the stairs, skipping every few.

"She's there. I think. Or she _was_," he replied quickly. "I didn't even think to try Thor, actually…" Clint furrowed his eyebrows, immediately frustrated with himself. He took out his phone quickly and dialed Thor's number, putting his phone to his ear. Steve glanced at him and stayed quiet, moving quickly. After a few moments, Thor finally picked up.

"This is Thor speaking," he sounded half asleep.

"Thor!" Clint practically shouted through the phone. "Thor, Tasha's in trouble. Get the hell up and over to her apartment. _Now_, okay?" Silence. "Thor." Silence. "_Thor!_" Thor snorted softly as if waking up again.

"Yes?"

"For fucks s… Thor. Tasha. Trouble. Go over there. _Now._"

"She's in trouble?"

"Yes."

"How do you kno-"

"Just _trust me, damn it, and get the fucking hell over there!_"

"Worry not! I'm getting up!" he sounded slightly annoyed both at being woken up and suddenly told what to do.

"Good. Hurry up." He hung up and quickly put his phone back in his pocket, taking out his car keys. They were in the parking garage next to their apartment building, headed quickly for Clint's car. _Technically_ it was Tony's car, but he never used it.

"You know Tony's going to _kill you_ if you wreck his car, right?" Steve gave Clint a look and held his hand out to him. "Let me drive." Clint opened his mouth to argue but just sighed and shook his head.

"Fine." He practically shoved the keys in Steve's hand as they got to the car. "But if you do that whole 'Oh, I can't drive above the speed limit! It's illegal!' old-man bullshit, I'm going to punch you in the dick."

"Noted," Steve nodded and got in the car, turning on the engine and closing the door again. Clint already had his seatbelt on in the passenger seat. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm down a little more.

"We're coming, Tasha," he whispered more to comfort himself than anything.

* * *

_Reviews:_

_BettyLovesCupcakes: Ahh! Thank you! I was hoping they were (at least kind of) in character! And yessss, I'm involving eeeveryone because they're all my babies and I love them so._

_Gammawidow67: You'll just have to stay tuned to find out ;) And c'mon. Bruce is friends with Tony. You don't think he'd pull a ton of shit on April Fools day? Hahahaaaah_

_RoxasGuyXIII: Okay this was probably the funniest fucking thing "Holy mother of freaking toastermonkey" ohh it was beautiful. Okay. Anyways. Thank you so much!_

_Broken Infinity: Really? I thought the summary was total shit, but I guess not? Well that's a good sign! :) And yeah. I kind of sort of end like, everything... EVERYTHING in cliff hangers. It's a curse. I can't help it._

_SmileMore: AALkjfojskf I love that you say that me updating was the best thing that happened before school that's awesome! And yeah! It's not exactly a typical fic (I hope), so there's that. I don't really like cliche... Things... (Most of the time? O_o)_

_AND TO THE REST OF YOU 'CAUSE I CAN'T POSSIBLY DO A REPLY FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'D BE TERRIBLY REDUNDANT I AM SO SORRY:_

_Thank you all so much for your support! And yes. It was definitely intended to scare. Literally every review with someone freaking out. Is the best thing in the world. And I love it. (And yeah, I love the names in Tony's phone, too :D) Again, thank you all so much, and I hope you all stick around! :)_


	4. The Keys

_Alright, this one is **completely** a filler and I'm sorry, but I felt I needed to establish where they were/what they were doing/et cetra. But don't worry! I'm actually about to start the next chapter in like, five minutes. Happy reading! :) -E_

* * *

The boys just sat in silence, staring at the screen in front of them.

"What just happened?" Bruce asked finally. Tony opened his mouth to reply, yet nothing came out. "Tony?" he tried again, eyes still glued to the phone.

"Y..eah?" Tony's voice sounded slightly forced as the screen went dark.

"We should…"

"..Yeah…"

"Keys are…?"

"Cabinet."  
"The cabinet?"

"Long story." In perfect synchronization, the pair jumped up and went to find their shoes. Once he had is shoes, Bruce jogged over into the kitchen and started opening the cabinets, looking for Tony's keys.

"Which one?" he called over his shoulder as Tony walked into the room quickly, zipping up a jacket.

"Shit, uh," Tony glanced around the kitchen quickly, trying to remember where he had left them. "Thiiiiiiiis…. No… _This one- _no… _Shit_…"

"Why you would keep your keys in a kitchen cabinet is _beyond me_-"

"I told you: long story!"

"Yeah, well it-"

"Got 'em!" Bruce heard the keys jingling in Tony's hand and spun around, except Tony hadn't been anywhere near the cabinets. "They were actually in the freezer." He grinned sheepishly. Bruce just stared at him.

"You know what? I don't even want to know. Let's just go," he quickly started for the front door, grabbing one of Tony's jackets and pulling it on. Tony quickly sent a message to Clint.

_[4:03 am, sent] Are you on your way to Nat's?_

Putting his hands in his pockets, he kept his hand closed around his phone and followed Bruce out the door and down the hall.

"What do you think's there? I mean, who? I mean…" Bruce blinked, his eyebrows furrowing. "I think I mean who?" he glanced over at Tony. "Tony?"

"Oh, uh," Tony cleared his throat and looked at Bruce, shrugging. "I don't know." He looked worried. Bruce chewed gently on the inside of his cheek, looking forwards again, fingers playing with the keys.

_Bzzzzz._

Whipping out his phone, Tony sighed in relief.

"Oh, good," he breathed, looking at the message from Clint.

_[4:05 am, Bird-Brain] Yeah. Rogers and I are on our way over. What about you?_

_[4:05 am, sent] We're on our way too._

* * *

_Reviews: _

_Devony- Yessss! Tasha is all their girl and I love her and just. Yes. And oh my god can you imagine being in her place though and suddenly the god of thunder bashing through the door I'm pretty sure I would pee my pants_

_Broken Infinity- Aww, thank you so much! And yeah, I think Clint would be really caring/protective over Tashaaaa. Again, thank you! :)_

_SmileMore- Oh, don't worry, I call nearly everyone "dude/son/giiiiirl/whatever comes to mind" so you're good ;) But thank you so much! I really appreciate it!_

_SH Ships Sherlock- Hah! Yeah, that was actually a very last-second addition, but I'm glad I did add it in! And apparently it was in good taste? :) But yeah, I loooooove love love Steve. Literally. I'm wearing Cap sweatpants as I type this. Thank you for your kind words! :)_

_General: Thank you all so much for sticking with me! I really love all the feedback/reviews and hope you're all enjoying the story :)_


	5. The Dark

There was an unnatural darkness about the building as Steve pulled the car into the parking lot. Clint was bouncing his leg quickly waiting for him to park. Not a single other car was in sight.

"Hey, Clint…? Maybe we should wait until the police get here…" Steve glanced around as he put the car into park, leaving the engine running.

"No," Clint replied simply, unbuckling his seatbelt. "I'm not going to let Tasha get hurt." He opened the car door and stepped outside. There had been a cool breeze and the low hum of the city at night just a few miles away. But here, all that greeted Clint was stale air and silence. He glanced at his phone as Steve turned off the car and stepped out. 4:09. It had been almost ten minutes and there was still no word from Natasha. Steve shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, trying to stifle a yawn.

Without so much as a glance at Steve, Clint started walking towards the front door, only to stop abruptly in front of it. How were they supposed to get in? They couldn't just have her buzz them in.

"What are you waiting for?" Steve asked almost impatiently, reaching past him and pressing the call button for her apartment.

"Wait, no, Steve, you can't-"

_Bzzzz_.

The lock on the door clicked and Clint blinked. Cocking an eyebrow, Steve opened the door and gave Clint a look.

"Can't _what? Go inside?_"

"Think about it, Steve!" Clint shot back, exasperated. "Who opened the door if Tasha's locked in the bathroom?" Glancing at his phone again, tempted to try texting her.

"It's open. Let's just count our blessings for now, shall we?" Steve rolled his eyes and walked inside, stopping short, still holding the door open for Clint to follow. Clint scoffed and walked inside. Bumping into Steve's shoulder, he looked up from his phone, about to yell at him for being in the way. It was only now that he had noticed that the hallway was completely darkened. Immediately putting away his phone, he glanced towards Steve in the darkness, putting a finger to his lips, hoping that Steve would see. Exhaling slowly and silently, he looked forwards again into the darkness, trying to remember which way Tasha's apartment was.

"Which one is hers?" Steve whispered quietly in the darkness, voice serious now. "Upstairs, right?"

"Mhm… Seventh floor," Clint whispered back to him and slowly started to move his way forwards, knowing that something could be hiding behind any one of the doors, just waiting to pounce. He put the tips of his fingers very gently against one of the walls, being careful not to move anything or make any noise. After a few moments, he found his way to the stairwell and glanced upwards, trying to see if there were any lights shining through, but he could still only see darkness.

"Anything?" Steve asked softly, glancing up through the middle of the stairs.

"No. We're going to have to just deal with the darkness…"

"_Wonderful_." Steve scoffed very quietly and shook his head. "Just what I was hoping for." Clint shushed him and he sighed quietly. "Fine."

They silently started making their way up the stairs, each holding onto a railing just in case.

"Two..."

"...Three..."

"Fouuuuur..." they took turns whispering the floor number to keep track of where they were, being unable to see the numbers over the doors leading into the hallways.

"Five."

"...Ssssssix."

"Seven. This is it," he whispered as he looked for the doorknob. Finding it, he slowly wrapped his fingers around it and opened the heavy door a small crack as quietly as he could. "Still dark," he whispered again, peaking his head through the crack in the door. "Do I still have that flashlight on my keys?" Silence. "Steve?" Clint looked behind him at where Steve had been. Squinting through the darkness, he realized that he couldn't even see his outline anymore. He was alone.


	6. The Creature

"_Shit_," Clint whispered to himself, quickly moving to look down the stairwell. "Steve! _Steve!_" he whispered harshly into the darkness. Silence. He'd have to go back for Steve once he found Tasha. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and walked slowly to the door again. Stopping abruptly, he literally smacked himself in the forehead for being so stupid this entire time. Digging in his pocket, he got out his phone and turned on the flashlight. "Get it together, Barton."

Hesitantly, he opened the door again, this time shining his light through the opening. As far as he could tell, the hallway looked completely normal- save for the power being off. Taking one last glance behind him, he walked through the door, closing it as quietly as possible behind him. He couldn't remember which hall to take to get to Tasha's apartment, so he took a few steps forwards and shined the light on the nearest door to read what it said. '_Custodial Supplies. Well. Damn. Isn't that just the most useful fucking thing.'_ he thought bitterly to himself, walking further down the hall to another door. The plate had been actually ripped from the door.

"Oh, for _fucks sake_," he accidentally said out loud and immediately froze. The hallway took on an eerie silence as he stood, holding his breath.

"_Clint Barton,_" a low voice came from all around him, echoing in his ears, causing him to shudder. Quickly shining the flashlight around, he looked around the still-empty hall.

"Who are you?" he challenged, eyebrows furrowed. "_Where_ are you?" Clint jumped slightly as he heard the sudden sound of nails dragging slowly across a wall.

"_I'm going to kill you, Clint Barton…" _the voice sounded again. "_Just as I disposed of that little brat, Natalia…_" Clint sucked in his breath and glared, still trying to find where the voice was coming from.

"_Where is she?!" _he yelled, tightening his grip on his phone. "_What have you done to her?!"_ The voice chuckled slowly. "Answer me!" Clint demanded as he spun around to see a creature standing right in front of him, towering over him. It had several arms of varying lengths sticking out at odd angles from both its sides and back. Each of the hands were bony and far too long, the skin on its fingers appearing as though it had been worn away, leaving only the sight of decaying bone. Each one of its ribs were clearly defined under its skin, its legs long and deformed. Its face was almost translucent, stretched too tightly, showing every detail of its deformed skull. Its eyes were three times the size of any normal human's and pure black. A crooked grin was plastered on its face, its teeth sharp and pointed, completely covered in blood.

Clint let out a yelp and jumped backwards, dropping his phone on the ground, the flashlight facing down. The creature only chuckled more at Clint's reaction.

"_Your time is up, Clint Barton…_" it hissed as it licked its lips with a long, forked, black tongue. Clint immediately kicked it back as he took down the hallway away from it, squinting in the darkness, trying to read the names on the doors. "_You think you can run?_" the creature asked, almost sounding amused.

"_Yup!_" Clint yelled back over his shoulder as he rounded a corner, starting to remember where he was in relation to Tasha's apartment. The creature merely chuckled darkly again. Quickly skidding to a halt in front of a door, Clint reached up and felt the letter that was on the door. _7B_. He'd found her. He sighed shortly in relief and tried the doorknob.

Locked.

Groaning, he glanced down the hall the way he came, expecting to hear the creature- or at least see a faint outline of it- but there was nothing. Quickly he knocked loudly on the door.

"Natasha? Tasha! Can you hear me?" he yelled through the wood before putting his ear against the door, trying to hear. "_Shit_. Alright, Tash, if you can hear me, I'm about to break open the door! Okay?!" He paused. Still nothing. Glancing down the hall again, he let out a squeak as he saw a large shape at the end of the hall slowly moving towards him.

"_Cliiiiintttt…_" the creature teased as it came closer. Without another moment's hesitation, Clint took a step back and kicked the door hard, causing it to fly open. Sprinting inside, he quickly slammed the door behind him, praying he didn't break the lock.

"Tasha?" he called into the dark apartment. "Please, Natasha, answer me! Where are you?" He flinched as the creature dragged several pairs of fingers slowly down the door.

"_You can't hide from me, Clint Barton…_" its voice still echoed in his ears, even through the shut door.

"Fuck off," he yelled back at it before jogging more into the apartment, trying to find Tasha through the darkness. "C'mon, Tasha… Tasha?" The front doorknob slowly began to move as the creature made to open it. Spinning around, Clint watched the door, his jaw clenched. After a few seconds the handle went still. _Locked_. Clint sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god." Quickly making his way through the apartment, he found the bathroom Tasha had been texting him from before.

"Nat?" his voice was quieter as he poked his head through the door. There was a wet towel on the floor, the shower door still wide open. Tasha, however, was nowhere to be seen. "Where _are you_?" Clint asked frustratedly as he made his way back and towards the living room and kitchen. Quickly looking under tables and counters, over couches and chairs he glanced at the closed bedroom door.

_Thud_.

Clint jumped and looked back over at where the front door was. The creature was trying to bust it down. He didn't have a lot of time left to find her. If she wasn't in the bedroom, he'd had to keep looking elsewhere. She had to still be in the building, and he would search all damn night if he had to.

_Thud._

Jogging over to the door he tried the handle, but it was locked.

_Thud._

"God damn it, Tasha, you _better be in here_," licking his lips he took a few steps back and ran at the door, ramming into it hard with his shoulder, the door frame breaking as it opened. "Tasha..?" he said quickly, walking through the doorway.

_Thud_.

The front door cracked loudly and went silent.

* * *

_Reviews: _

_SH Ships Sherlock- (Chapter 4) Ahh, the keys in the freezer. Mmm. Possibly. Maybe. Actually, I might turn that into a one-shot fic of its own. I do like the idea. (Chapter 5) Isn't it just the worst thing? Where you don't want a happy ending (how cliche) but don't want anyone to die?! Agh. _

_Devony- (Chapter 4) Do you still think Tony's pulling a prank?_

_FanGirl- (Chapter 4) HAH this was literally one of my favorite recent reviews oh my god. Alright, alright, here's your update! I hope it lived up to expectations!_

_La Madone- (Chapter 4) Oh my god I KNOW I would have already been dead, too, don't worry._

_Callionope- (Chapter 4) Alright, THIS REVIEW was my ALL TIME favorite! Because I love love love love Tony and Bruce and love writing them and really hoped it was okay 'cause it's my favorite thing and just. Thank youuuuu ahhhhhh 3_

_Azaisya- Well, yes, terrifying the masses was in fact my intention! So thank you!_

_Broken Infinity- Yeaaaah, sorry about that, darlin'. It's kind of a bad habit of mine- leaving things in cliffhangers? Yeah... Heheh._

_SmileMore- Thank you so much! I'm glad that you were actually looking forwards to it! :)_

_RoxasGuyXIII- Yeah, both the update was really short... That's why I had two chapters. I just kinda had to establish what was going on with Tony/Bruce/blah blah blah._

_Rennier- Nahh, Steve was with him past foor floor! They were counting back 'n forth, remember? _

_Devony- (Insert River Song gif here) Spoilers! ;)_


	7. Natasha

"Tasha?!" Clint yelled as he saw her collapsed on the ground by the open closet door. She was wearing a white tank top and a dark pair of shorts, a sweater that had been torn from its hanger and covered her head.

"_Natasha!_" He ran to her, falling hard to his knees next to her. Tossing aside the sweater carelessly, he brought her torso gently into his lap. There was blood dripping from her mouth and forehead and he grimaced as he checked her breathing and pulse. She was still alive. _"Oh, thank god," _he whispered softly, moving hair gently from her face. "Tasha... Natasha, can you hear me?" A small moan escaped her reddened lips. The side of his mouth twitched up slightly. "Can you open your eyes? C'mon, show me those beautiful eyes..." He heard movement from the other room and flinched, his head immediately snapping in the direction of the open door. Holding his breath, he listened, but nothing happened. Turning his attention back to Natasha, he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Tasha, don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here. Everything's going to be alright- I'm gonna keep you safe, alright?" He swallowed hard and took one of her hands in his. Her skin was cool, her palms clammy.

"Clint..?" She asked, her voice quiet, almost forced. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked at him. Her eyes were wide, almost child-like.

"Shhhh..." He gently brushed back her hair from her forehead again.

"Clint," she insisted in a soft whisper. He exhaled slowly and licked his lips, glancing at the door again.

"What is it?" He asked tenderly. Looking back at her, his eyes were soft and caring.

"I... I just wanted to tell you. Before it was too late," she coughed quietly, more blood dribbling down her pale chin.

"You don't have to," he told her soothingly, gently wiping the blood away. "I already know..." She just shook her head.

"N-no," she coughed again. "Clint..." Wincing, she tightly closed her eyes.

"Natasha, please, don't strain yourself," Clint tried again, face filled with concern.

"Clint," she repeated, slowly reaching up at him, her hand trembling. Finding the back of his head, Tasha gently brought his face towards hers and kissed him slowly. Clint's heart instantly started racing as he closed his eyes, uncaring about the blood that was still on her lips. Leaning back her head very slightly, Tasha whispered against his lips. "April fools." Clint's eyes flashed open to find her staring at him, the smirk evident in her eyes. Leaning back abruptly he watched her. Her body language had changed dramatically, from some scared little child to someone who could have just gotten the title of 'president of the galaxy'.

"Wh...at," he finally got out dumbly, almost forgetting how to speak properly. "_What?_" Tasha laughed and sat up, wiping the blood from her mouth before slowly peeling off a prosthetic gash from her forehead.

"April fools?" She repeated, a sly grin forming. Suddenly Tony bounded into the bedroom, beaming from ear to ear.

"_Damn_, we got you good!" He bragged loudly, holding what looked like a game controller. Bruce quickly followed behind, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, Clint..."

"But we _had to._"

"Well, we didn't _have_ to, Tony-"

"-We had to," Tony insisted, nodding once, crossing his arms.

"...Yeah... We had to," Bruce grinned more and shrugged a shoulder. Clint just stared, looking between the three of them.

"I'm sorry, I'm still lost," he glared slightly. "So, none of it was real?" Tasha shook her head, still smiling. "Then what _was_ that _thing_?" Tasha hesitated before leaning over to see through the doorway.

"Thor! C'mon out!" She called, one hand cupped around her mouth. After a few moments, Thor shuffled into the room, holding a large mask and a couple of the creature's arms under his own.

"You haven't a _clue_ how warm it is in here," Thor joked, tossing the detached arms and mask onto the bed. He was still wearing most of the creature, the remaining arms limp and motionless, his hair tied back into a bun just above his neck. Clint just continued to stare incredulously at all of them.

"See, _thiiiiis _controls the arms and the faaace…" Tony explained, pressing a few buttons on his controller, causing the still-attached arms and the mask on the bed to move.

"And this," Bruce continued for him and held something that looked like a black pen to his mouth and spoke into it. "Is how it speaks!" he said, a low, guttural voice coming from somewhere on Thor's chest.

"And… And Steve? What about Steve?" Immediately after, Steve cleared his throat softly and popped his head in the room, looking apologetic but still unable to hide a smile.

"Present…"

"Why the _fuck_ would you guys pull something like that?!" Clint growled, looking from Steve to Thor and finally to Tasha. She just raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"Why would you think that a _ring pop_ was an acceptable Valentine's Day gift?" Tasha countered, suddenly sounding annoyed. Clint opened his mouth, completely taken aback. Closing it again, he licked his lips and shook his head and opened his mouth again.

"That _is_ kind of a shitty gift, Barton," Tony offered, glancing at Bruce who nodded at him.

"I mean, it's like giving someone a pencil or something for their birthday," Bruce shrugged.

"Or a paper plate."

"Or Styrofoam cup."

"Used napkin." Bruce laughed and looked at Tony.

"A _used napkin_?" Tony just shrugged.

"You never know!"

"_Anyways,_" Tasha interrupted the pair and looked back at Clint. "This was just payback."

"You said you weren't still upset about that!"

"You're right," Tasha smirked. "_Now_ I'm not upset about it."

"Christ," Clint rubbed his eyes with his palms and sighed. "Tasha, I _said_ I was _sorry_!"

"And I accept your apology."

"_Tashaaaa_…" Almost immediately, Tasha leaned towards him, her lips meeting his to shut him up. Clint blinked, surprised, but quickly closed his eyes, moving his hand gently to the side of her face. Tony let out a wolf-whistle and Steve's face quickly flushed as he leaned away from the door.

"Aaaaaand that's our cue to leave!" Bruce announced quickly, spinning around and ushering everyone out of the bedroom. "C'mon- nothing to see here!" Closing the door behind him, Thor glanced at everyone.

"You are all welcomed to stay with me if you are too tired to return home at this hour!" he offered, smiling at them.

"Thanks, buddy!" Tony slapped him on the back and made for the door, Bruce following close behind.

"And you? Or would you prefer your own bed?" Thor asked, turning to Steve.

"Oh," Steve glanced at the closed bedroom door before smiling at Thor. "Yeah, that'd probably be for the best. I've got to drive Clint home, eventually, too." Thor chuckled softly and nodded as they made for the door.

"Hey, Tony?" Bruce asked, looking at Tony as they walked out of Tasha's apartment and into the perfectly lit hallway.

"Mmmm?" Tony raised his eyebrows, glancing at Bruce from the corner of his eye.

"Just out of curiousity… How _did_ your keys get into the freezer?"

"_Well_," Tony laughed. "Remember how I was drunk at the zoo last weekend? Trying to steal that penguin?"

"Oh, no."

"Oh, _yes_."

* * *

_Thank you to everyone who stuck with this story and liked it/reviewed/et cetera! I'm so thankful for all the support and love! But... 'I regret to announce that this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Goodbye~' I hope you enjoyed it! :) -E_


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